Professional Documents
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10/91
Revision B
Interferometer
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Interferometer
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Table of Contents
Section
Page
Operation
The Interferometer ......................................................................................... 4
The Movable Mirror ....................................................................................... 4
Aligning the Interferometer .......................................................................... 5
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Interferometer
Equipment Return
Copyright Notice
Limited Warranty
PASCO scientific warrants this product to be free from
defects in materials and workmanship for a period of
one year from the date of shipment to the customer.
PASCO will repair or replace, at its option, any part of
the product which is deemed to be defective in material or workmanship. This warranty does not cover
damage to the product caused by abuse or improper
use. Determination of whether a product failure is the
result of a manufacturing defect or improper use by the
customer shall be made solely by PASCO scientific.
Responsibility for the return of equipment for warranty
repair belongs to the customer. Equipment must be
properly packed to prevent damage and shipped
postage or freight prepaid. (Damage caused by
improper packing of the equipment for return shipment
will not be covered by the warranty.) Shipping costs
for returning the equipment, after repair, will be paid
by PASCO scientific.
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PASCO scientific
10101 Foothills Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95747-7100
Phone:
FAX:
email:
web:
scientific
Address:
(916) 786-3800
(916) 786-3292
techsupp@pasco.com
www.pasco.com
012-02675B
Interferometer
Introduction
The PASCO scientific Model OS-8501
Michelson Interferometer is a precision instrument capable of measuring the wavelength of
visible, monochromatic light with an
accuracy of better than 5%. With the
included vacuum chamber, it can also be
used for precise measurements of the index of
air refraction.
CAUTION: Avoid touching all optical
surfaces on the interferometer, because
minute scratches can impair the clarity of
the interference image. For instructions
on cleaning the optical surfaces, see the
Maintenance section at the end of this
manual.
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Equipment
Equipment included:
Light source: To operate the Michelson Interferometer you will also need a monochromatic light source,
preferably a laser. We recommend the PASCO 0.5
mW He-Ne Laser (Model OS-9171), but any low
power laser that operates in the visible range will
work. For optimum ease of alignment, the level of the
beam should be 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) above the bench
top. Leveling screws on the interferometer allow the
height to be adjusted.
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Theory of Operation
Interference Theory
A beam of light can be modeled as a wave of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. When two beams of
light meet in space, these fields add according to the
principle of superposition. At each point in space, the
electric and magnetic fields are determined as the
vector sum of the fields of the separate beams.
Figure 1 shows a diagram of a Michelson interferometer. A beam of light from the laser source strikes the
beam-splitter. The beam-splitter is designed to reflect
50% of the incident light and transmit the other 50%.
The incident beam therefore splits into two beams; one
beam is reflected toward mirror M1, the other is
transmitted toward mirror M2. M1 and M2 reflect the
beams back toward the beam-splitter. Half the light
from M1 is transmitted through the beam-splitter to the
viewing screen and half the light from M2 is reflected
by the beam-splitter to the viewing screen.
VIEWING SCREEN
BEAMSPLITTER
M2
(MOVABLE
MIRROR)
LASER
M1 (FIXED MIRROR)
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Operation
The Interferometer
The Michelson Interferometer is shown in
Figure 3. The alignment of the beamsplitter and the movable mirror, M2, is
easily adjusted by loosening the thumbscrews that attach them to the interferometer. The fixed mirror, M1, is mounted on
an alignment bracket. The bracket has two
alignment screws to adjust the angle of the
mirror.
M2 (MOVABLE MIRROR)
BEAM SPLITTER
M1 (FIXED MIRROR)
MICROMETER
KNOB
M1 ALIGNMENT
SCREWS
Figure 3 INTERFEROMETER
MYLAR
STRIP
M2
r
r
r
R
MICROMETER
KNOB
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Interferometer
VIEWING SCREEN
REFLECTED
LASER BEAM
LASER
ALIGNMENT RAIL
OPTICS BENCH
LASER BEAM
10 - 20 cm
Figure 5 ADJUSTING M1
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VIEWING SCREEN
45
LASER
M1 ALIGNMENT SCREWS
VIEWING SCREEN
LENS HOLDER
LENS, 18 mm
FOCAL LENGTH
LASER
M1 ALIGNMENT SCREWS
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Interferometer
Procedure
Align the laser and interferometer as described in the preceding section, so an interference
pattern of circular fringes is clearly visible on your viewing screen.
Adjust the micrometer knob so the lever arm is approximately parallel with the edge of the
interferometer base. In this position the relationship between knob rotation and mirror
movement is most nearly linear.
Turn the micrometer knob one full turn counterclockwise. Continue turning counterclockwise until the zero on the knob is aligned with the index mark.
NOTE: Whenever you reverse the direction in which you turn the micrometer knob,
there is a small amount of give before the mirror begins to move. This is called
mechanical backlash, and is present in any mechanical system involving reversals in
direction of movement. By beginning with a full counterclockwise turn, and then turning
only counterclockwise when counting fringes, you can eliminate backlash in your
measurement.
If you are using a blank piece of paper as your viewing screen, make a reference mark on
the paper between two of the fringes. You will find it easier to count the fringes if the
reference mark is one or two fringes out from the center of the pattern.
Rotate the micrometer knob slowly counterclockwise. Count the fringes as they pass your
reference mark. Continue until a predetermined number of fringes has passed your reference mark (count at least 20 fringes). As you finish your count, the fringes should be in the
same position with respect to your reference mark as they were when you started to count.
Record dm, the distance that the movable mirror moved toward the beam-splitter as you
turned the micrometer knob. Remember, each division on the micrometer knob corresponds to one micron (10-6 meters) of mirror movement.
dm = _______________
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0
0
Figure 8 GRAPH,
INDEX OF REFRACTION VS PRESSURE
Procedure
Align the laser and interferometer as described earlier in this manual.
The experimental set-up is shown in Figure 9. Push the air hose of the vacuum pump over the
air outlet hole of the vacuum chamber. Then plug the banana plug of the vacuum chamber into
the hole in the interferometer base between the fixed mirror and the beam-splitter.
Adjust the alignment screws of the fixed mirror so the center of the interference pattern is
clearly visible on the viewing screen. (The fringe pattern will be somewhat distorted by
irregularities in the glass end-plates of the vacuum chamber.)
Notice that the banana plug of the vacuum chamber is free to rotate in its hole. For accurate
measurements, the end-plates of the vacuum chamber must be perpendicular to the laser beam.
Rotate the chamber slowly and observe the effect on the interference fringes. Based on your
observations, how can you be sure that the end-plates of the vacuum chamber are properly
aligned?
Be sure that the air in the vacuum chamber is at atmospheric pressure. If you are using a
PASCO Hand Vacuum Pump, this is performed by flipping the vacuum release toggle switch.
(Alternatively, many people find it more convenient to begin with the vacuum chamber
evacuated they then let air into the chamber as the fringes are counted. Use whichever
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VIEWING SCREEN
LASER
VACUUM CHAMBER
AIR HOSE
VACUUM PUMP
MODEL OS-8502
VACUUM CHAMBER
(front view)
INTERFEROMETER
BASE
BANANA PLUG
VACUUM RELEASE
TOGGLE SWITCH
NOTE: Pi and Pf (see below) must be absolute pressure readings. Most vacuum gauges
measure vacuum pressure with respect to atmospheric pressure (e.g., when the gauge reads
34 cm Hg, it means that the pressure is actually 34 cm Hg BELOW atmospheric pressure).
In this case, the absolute pressure reading must be calculated as:
Pabsolute = 76 cm Hg - Pgauge
Of course, your room pressure may vary slightly from 76 cm Hg. If you have a more
accurate way of measuring room pressure, you can use that value to replace 76 cm Hg in
the above equation.
Mark a reference point between a pair of fringes on your viewing screen. Slowly pump out
the air in the vacuum chamber to some convenient pressure level. As you do this, count
m, the number of fringes that pass your reference point. Record m, below. Also record
Pf, the final reading on the vacuum gauge.
m = ______________
Pf = _______________cm Hg.
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m = 2 d/i - 2d/f
However, i = o/ni and f = o/nf; where ni and nf are the initial and final values for the
refraction index of the air inside the chamber. Therefore m = 2 d (ni = nf) /o, so that ni - nf =
mo/2d. The slope of the n vs pressure graph is therefore calculated as:
ni - nf
Pi - P f
m o/2d
Pi - P f
m = the number of fringes that passed the reference point during evacuation
o = the wavelength of the laser light in vacuum (obtain this value from your teacher)
d = the length of the vacuum chamber (3.0 cm)
On a separate piece of paper, draw the n vs pressure graph. From your graph, what is natm, the
refraction index for air at a pressure of 1 atmosphere (76 cm Hg).
natm = ______________
NOTE: Remember that at zero pressure, n = 1 exactly. Using this as a fixed data point, use
your calculated slope to construct the graph. The slope will be very slight, since large
pressure changes result in very small changes in n. Adjust the scale of your graph as needed
so that you can accurately determine the small shift in n that occurs between zero pressure
and atmospheric pressure.
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Interferometer
Appendix
Maintenance
Replacement Parts
The following spare parts are available from PASCO
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IMPORTANT: All mirrors on the interferometer should be cleaned ONLY with alcohol
and a soft cloth. Other cleaning solvents, such as
Windex, may scratch or dissolve the aluminized
front surface of these mirrors.
Item
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003-02197
003-02281
003-02671
003-02672
003-02673
648-02696
Interferometer
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Tape two thin pieces of wire or thread to the surface of the diffuser to form cross-hairs.
A spectral light source such as the PASCO Model OS9287 Low Pressure Sodium Light Source works well
for this application. In addition to the spectral light
source, a diffuser is needed, such as PASCO Model
OS-9120.
(M1) until the front and back plates of the alignment bracket for M1 are approximately parallel.
lengths.
M1 ALIGNMENT BRACKET
LENS HOLDER
M1
SPECTRAL LIGHT
SOURCE
MODEL OS-9287
LOW PRESSURE SODIUM
BEAM SPLITTER
DIFFUSER
THIN WIRE
OR THREAD
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Technical Support
Feedback
To Reach PASCO
For technical support, call us at 1-800-772-8700
(toll-free within the U.S.) or (916) 786-3800.
fax:
(916) 786-3292
e-mail: techsupp@PASCO.com
web:
www.pasco.com